Smriti Khanna, a former model, television actor, content creator, and entrepreneur, in a candid interview with HT Lifestyle, reflects on reinventing herself through every stage of life, without losing who she is. Smriti also gets candid about marriage, relationships, and motherhood.
Smriti Khanna on navigating multiple careers
Starting her career as a model and television actor before transitioning into content creation and entrepreneurship, Smriti Khanna has worn many hats. Sharing her journey, Smriti said, “Because I was an actor, I had that base as a content creator. I wasn't completely new to my audience. So I had a little bit of following already, and it became a little easier that way. So the transition was very smooth.”
Acting and content creation are two distinct careers, yet they are closely intertwined. “The only difference I feel when you're on the screen is that people don't know the real you. Here you're putting yourself out to the audience, showing your real life, showing your kids, your house, everything that you do. Because I'm also on YouTube, when we do vlogs, they can't be totally edited. There are times when people actually see everything raw, and I like to keep it like that because when I put myself out there, they should know the real me. So, it's not that I'm pretending or acting,” said Smriti.
“Content creation feels more creative because I do content across lifestyle, travel, beauty, and fashion. So, I think that's more creatively fulfilling. I feel as an actor you're given a character, and you're just playing that for yours sometimes,” added Smriti.
Smriti Khanna on an influencer’s life
{{/usCountry}}“Content creation feels more creative because I do content across lifestyle, travel, beauty, and fashion. So, I think that's more creatively fulfilling. I feel as an actor you're given a character, and you're just playing that for yours sometimes,” added Smriti.
Smriti Khanna on an influencer’s life
{{/usCountry}}Content creation often appears to be one of the easiest things to do. However, it isn't. Smriti highlighted that everybody thinks it's very easy, but it is the biggest misconception.
"We don't really get days off. Even when we're on vacation, we're working and creating content. Especially if we're being hosted by someone or collaborating on a project, we're constantly working. We don't have Sundays off either. In fact, I usually shoot my vlogs on Sundays because weekdays are occupied with other work. Also, we can't suddenly disappear for a month; the audience does feel the disconnect then," said Smriti.
Smriti Khanna reflects on motherhood and identity
Undoubtedly, motherhood changes everything and more or less impacts a woman’s identity. Smriti highlighted that motherhood becomes a very important part of your identity, and it is, and it should be, but you can't lose yourself in that process. “I feel once you become a mother, you also want to tell your kids that this is the real me. I mean, my preferences might have taken a backseat for a bit, but I don't want to completely lose myself. So it could be like maybe I take a day off with my friends and they should know that I also need time for myself. My kids are my first priority, but I don't have like zero priorities after that. I also have my own life running. It’s also about striking a balance,” added Smriti.
“Mom-guilt is real, but then sometimes you have to tell yourself that you know your life is yours too. You're an individual at the end of the day, and there are things that you need to do,” said Khanna.
Smriti Khanna on marriage and partnership
In today’s world of changing relationship dynamics, Smriti Khanna highlighted that marriage taught me to look at the bigger picture. "When I was dating, even the smallest things used to bother me. You want attention, and you expect to spend more time together. But after marriage, it's more about understanding each other and being there when it truly matters, rather than just spending time together for the sake of it. For me, quality time has become far more important than the quantity of time we spend together,” said Smriti.